agriculture

The EPA's intransigent regulation of genetically engineered bacteria that could mitigate frost damage to crops prevented their commercialization. Especially when inflation is boosting food prices, the last thing we need is the continuation of an irresponsible, unscientific government policy that lowers crop yields, increases prices to consumers, and threatens farmers’ profits.
Ants – with their wise farming practices and efficient navigation techniques – could inspire solutions for some human problems. From The Conversation, by Scott Solomon, Associate Teaching Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University
The New York Times has again attacked an upstanding scientist based on claims made by duplicitous activist groups. This episode illustrates why the public's trust in media is plummeting.
Are the small levels of pesticides, herbicides and genetic modifications in our food -- whether human-made or natural -- harmful? Let's put the virus aside for a moment and see what we find.
It's unclear whether Big Agriculture, or small local farms, can save humanity from itself. Yet both groups sit on the sidelines yelling at each other without clear long-term strategies, suggesting that humanity is doomed unless the deniers are right.
Given the ridiculous headline "Broccoli Is Dying. Corn Is Toxic. Long Live Microbiomes!," the article, written by a retired English teacher, makes one outrageous, unscientific claim after another. Let's dissect them one by one.
The effects of a changing landscape on our friend, the bee, once again points at the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that can ripple through the ecosystem.
A study of chicken bones helps tell the story of our Anthropocene times, which is when Sapiens began making a significant impact on the planet. What lessons can we learn from how we have, so significantly, altered a bird to fit our needs?
We asked three straightforward questions about the integrity of the organic certification process. Program officials refused to answer them. It seems clear that this agency is less of a regulatory body and more of a taxpayer-funded cheerleading squad. It should be eliminated.
The organic industry is built upon a gigantic lie. It's the notion that "natural" farming methods are safer and healthier while "unnatural" methods are dangerous. It should surprise no one, therefore, that such a deceptive industry would attract its fair share of hucksters.
A new study in Nature Sustainability confirms what we've been saying for a long time: Organic farms produce fewer crops and are worse for the environment. Don't build more of them.
Contrary to wide-eyed speculation and fearmongering, coffee is not going extinct. Coffee bean production is up, and prices are down.